---
id: 655cd899f8de09431eabb40c
title: Step 1
challengeType: 20
dashedName: step-1
---

# --description--

In this project, you'll learn data structures by building the merge sort algorithm. 

This is a sorting algorithm that uses the divide-and-conquer principle to sort collections of data. That is, it 'divides' a collection into smaller sub-parts, and 'conquers' the sub-parts by sorting them independently, then merges the sorted sub-parts.

Create a function called `merge_sort`. This function will handle the task of sorting a list of numbers. 

Use the `pass` keyword in the function body.

# --hints--

You should declare a function named `merge_sort`. Don't forget use the `pass` keyword in the function body.

```js
({ test: () => assert(__pyodide.runPython(`
    import inspect
    inspect.isfunction(__locals.get("merge_sort"))
`))})
```

# --seed--

## --seed-contents--

```py
--fcc-editable-region--

--fcc-editable-region--
```
